Latest thinking
We’re pleased to present the latest perspectives from SameSky Health and our industry experts on the state of healthcare and health equity. Through webinars, playbooks, case studies, blog posts, and more, explore our perspectives on healthcare trends.
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For information about our live discussion series and podcast, check Under the Same Sky.
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How health information exchange and interoperability can help drive health equity
To kick off the new year, Abner Mason met with Erica Galvez, CEO of Manifest MedEx, for our ongoing discussion series, Under the Same Sky. During this conversation, they discussed initiatives by the organization to address health equity challenges to make healthcare data sharing work for everyone. They also focused on the new California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework and how it facilitates the secure and appropriate exchange of health and social services information to drive whole-person care.
Health Equity Predictions: 2023 Year in Review
At the beginning of 2023, we highlighted health equity predictions for the year provided by more than a dozen influential health equity leaders. For the final Under the Same Sky discussion of 2023, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, met with Chris Gibbons, MD, MPH, founder and CEO of The Greystone Group, Inc. During this event, Abner and Chris reviewed the 2023 predictions, broke them into five different categories, and discussed where the industry is at, as well as where it needs to go to advance health equity.
Understanding oral health disparities and the link to overall health
Abner Mason met with Myechia Minter-Jordan (MD, MBA), president and CEO, and Kaz Rafia (DDS, MBA, MPH), chief health equity officer of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. This conversation focused on the connection between oral health, behavioral health, and overall health, and the impact of oral health disparities.
Bringing genomic medicine to underrepresented populations
Abner Mason met with Yusuf N. Henriques, founder and CEO of IndyGeneUS AI and IndyGeneUS Global. This conversation focused on how IndyGeneUS AI is using their combined experience from the FDA, the military, and in academia, to lead change and deliver high-quality, reliable disease insights that are inclusive of populations underrepresented in genetic research, while also building trust among these communities.
Closing the loop on the last mile in healthcare to improve health outcomes
SameSky Health hosted a webinar, Closing the loop on the last mile in healthcare to improve health outcomes, to discuss how we’ve enhanced member experiences, improved health outcomes, and guided members to the care, tools, and resources they need using our CultureGuide® solution. Abner Mason, founder and CEO, and Meredith Welsh, senior vice president of health operations for SameSky Health, presented strategies and tactics to effectively engage members in their health journey.
Developing health equity strategies rooted in data and insights
Abner Mason met with Dr. J Nwando Olayiwola, the inaugural chief health equity officer and senior vice president of Humana. The conversation was focused on Dr. Olayiwola’s priorities, experiences, and key initiatives to advance health equity. She discussed the importance of developing health equity strategies rooted in data and insights and also emphasized the need for cross-functional collaboration to address health disparities and barriers to care.
Ensuring AI is developed without bias in healthcare
Abner Mason met with met with Kevin Dedner, MPH, author, entrepreneur, and thought leader. Kevin described his experience and lessons learned in solving complex public health problems. He also discussed his current project, where he is challenging the bias in healthcare as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to rise.
The role of AI in healthcare
Abner Mason met with Dr. Leo Anthony Celi who is the Clinical Research Director and Principal Research Scientist at the Laboratory for Computational Physiology at MIT and a practicing intensivist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The conversation was centered around the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, and the opportunities and challenges that Dr. Celi is concerned about as the healthcare industry moves full speed ahead with AI investments and initiatives.
The future of healthcare
Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, met with Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, health economist, communicator, and “trend weaver” for THINK-Health and Health Populi. The conversation focused on the future of healthcare and innovative approaches to expanding access to care through the intersection of health, technology, and people.
Drive better health outcomes through increased Medicare member participation in Annual Wellness Visits
SameSky Health hosted a webinar, Drive better health outcomes through increased Medicare member participation in Annual Wellness Visits, to discuss our unique, culturally tailored approach to engage Medicare Advantage members in completing Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs). A national health plan recently partnered with SameSky Health using the CultureGuide™ solution to build member trust, increase plan satisfaction, improve data collection and resource utilization, as well as increase wellness visits. Meredith Welsh, senior vice president of health operations for SameSky Health, presented several findings from the past 12 months.
Quantifying the impact of the social determinants of health featuring Socially Determined
As part of our ongoing discussion series, Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, met with Dr. Trenor Williams, CEO and co-founder of Socially Determined, to talk about the importance of social risk data. The conversation focused on the value of quantifying the impact of the social determinants of health (SDOH) and actions that health plans can take to improve health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and track measurable results.
Advancing maternal health equity featuring Mahmee
Did you know that in the United States, Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from childbirth complications than any other ethnic group? As part of our ongoing discussion series Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, met with Melissa Hanna, CEO, and Dr. Amanda Williams, Medical Director of Mahmee. This important conversation covered the unique and holistic approaches Mahmee has been using to support women during pregnancy and postpartum care to close gaps in maternal care.
Key considerations for integrating health equity into your technology and data practices
SameSky Health hosted a webinar to display how techquity can be interwoven into all aspects of business. Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, was joined by Josh Siegel, chief technology officer, and Hannah Arnson, director of data science at SameSky Health, to discuss how SameSky Health is using techquity to drive personalization at scale, to create unique, culturally tailored member experiences in order to build trust and increase member engagement.
Get to know your members and establish trusted relationships
Establishing relationships and getting to know members is the first step that needs to be taken in order to build trust and uncover barriers. As part of our ongoing discussion series Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, and Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Grapevine Health, discussed the importance of health literacy, community outreach, and member engagement in order to improve health outcomes.
Preparing for the unwinding of the Continuous Enrollment Provision
For health plan leaders, it's essential to have an effective outreach strategy in place to engage Medicaid members, make them aware of the impending redetermination process, and help guide them so they can retain health benefits coverage either through Medicaid if they remain eligible, or if they're not, through a Marketplace or other option. As part of our ongoing discussion series Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason discussed this important topic and the role that technology plays in helping Medicaid members retain coverage with Samantha Murphy from Salesforce.
Effective strategies for collecting health-equity-related member data to identify and address health disparities
SameSky Health hosted a webinar, Effective strategies for collecting health equity-related member data to identify and address health disparities, to discuss solutions to successfully collect critical member data to track health equity metrics and execute effective initiatives. The featured speakers were Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, and Meredith Welsh, SVP of health operations at SameSky Health. View the recording.
How to begin your journey towards equitable healthcare
As part of our ongoing discussion series Under the Same Sky, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, discussed the journey to make our country’s healthcare system more equitable with Dr. Bryan O. Buckley, director of health equity initiatives for NCQA. Where can healthcare organizations start on their journey to reach health equity?
Why prioritizing the advancement of health equity can bring success to health plans
Health equity and the social determinants of health (SDOH) have become buzzwords that are requiring action from all sectors within the healthcare industry. Given that 80% of clinical outcomes are attributable to SDOH, especially among traditionally marginalized populations, what can payers do now to help navigate through the challenges that come along with the new requirements of advancing health equity?
Bridging the gaps to address social determinants of health
Over the past decade, social determinants of health (SDOH) has become a common phrase within the healthcare industry, but it is still one of the hardest problems to solve. How can we finally bridge the gap to care for so many? Why are there still so many challenges after all these years? While there are no quick fixes, the first step we should consider is to solve the information problem — the accessibility for people to understand all their benefits and options. The ability for people to know what is available for their use is essential for them to be able to choose for themselves.
The impact of engaging members through culturally tailored outreach
The old approach to healthcare just isn’t working. People want to be treated uniquely based on their background, culture, and needs. As individuals, we all differ in how we understand, engage with, and use the healthcare system. Using culturally tailored outreach with members contributes to building trust and allows us to gather better data. We must treat members like who they are, matters.